Vanilla
by superfufu
Summary: See Ken. See Ken being an arrogant prick. See Ken feel his way through. See Toru. See one naughty, naughty Toru. See actions speak louder than words. For real. [HanagataFujima. Rated for HEAVY citrus. Enjoy.]


**Vanilla**

"Not again, Fujima."

"C'mon!"

"So you're telling us you'd rather be playing here all alone than spend time with your buddies?"

"You got to be kidding, man!"

The Shoyo team member's voices echoed through the whole indoor court. They had decided to have a little get-together as a group today, planning to play b-ball in the afternoon not as a team practicing for once, then drinking themselves dead in Hasegawa's place afterwards.

"It's not that, you guys. I just...don't feel like it at the moment." Fujima excused with a very apologetic smile. "Sorry. Maybe some other time."

"Like it's that easy to get a day-off."

"You need to get out more often. You always want to be alone."

"Yeah, it's ruining your social life. Look at you."

"Oh c'mon. Can't you just drop it? You heard the captain, now go ahead if you want to salvage the fun time left." Black eyes smiled behind thick-framed square glasses.

Exasperation tore everyone's faces. "Not you too!!" They all shouted in disgust.

"It was you who said his being alone's not doing any good, wasn't it?"

The all-level group halfheartedly started to vacate the gym, obviously disappointed.

Fujima shot a glare at his co-captain after the last soul was nowhere from sight. "I said I wanted to be alone." He said coldly, flatly.

A wide smile stretched along Hanagata's face. "You actually thought I would let you alone?" He asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

The blue-eyed captain started to dribble the ball, shunning Hanagata's presence away and ignoring it completely. He executed a perfect three-pointer. But as the ball hung in midair, a large hand blocked it from its goal.

The ball bounced away with the force of the block, the bouncing sound it made the only one heard as blue eyes pierced ebony ones.

"Kuso."

"Chill, captain. I'm here to play with you."

Hanagata picked the ball up and started dribbling, in place in front of the smaller man, as if challenging him. Fujima posed a defensive stance in acceptance, never refusing any challenge.

---

The clock seemed to tick away fast like it did whenever someone occupied the Shoyo basketball gym. The captain approached the bench and picked up his water bottle from his bag. He raised the bottle above his lips, tilting his head up to pour the liquid in his longing throat.

The black-haired man hissed as he watched the display. "I wanna play."

"Let me just breathe for a second. We've been playing nonstop for a good couple of hours already."

Hanagata shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Baka na." He though aloud.

"What's that?"

"Nothing."

Silence.

"Game." The smaller player walked to their play area once more.

Fujima secured the ball in his grasp, trying to intercept Toru's tight defense.

"So you don't want to drink with us anymore, huh?" The tall man blurted out, the corner of his lips curving upwards.

Ken's pretty face crumpled to a frown, finally having able to make a shot.

"Figures."

Toru just smiled at Ken's sharp glare.

Now Kenji was holding the ball again, his blue eyes burning, sweat dripping down the sides of his face. "Don't smile at me. It's annoying." He said, straightly like he always would've.

"I can't help it. You're so cute."

Fujima's eyes narrowed and he threw the ball away. He brushed past Toru and headed for the benches. He snatched his bag and headed for the locker area.

--

_Evening._

_One of Shoyo basketball varsity team's occasional night-outs. _

_Most of the young men were scattered all over Fujima's living room, already passed out. The room was reeking of alcohol._

_Except for two people, the captain and co-captain of the lot, who were sitting beside each other on the couch, watching basketball on the late night TV. _

_Fujima got the remote and shut off the box. He tilted his head upward, resting the back of his head on the back of the couch, sighing deeply. His cheeks were flushed with alcohol, though he was not as heavy a drinker compared to the others. _

"_Hey, what you do that for?" Hanagata frowned, his tone very groggy, on the edge of being punch-drunk himself._

"_It had to shut up already." The brown-haired man closed his eyes in an attempt to gather himself. _

_Silence._

_The noise of the TV was then replaced by Hanagata's almost-incoherent chatter, mundane and very random, from his basketball experiences from way back when to the breakfast he had this morning, and it filled Fujima's ears completely. The Shoyo ace could hardly make anything out of it though, but he just stayed silent, sitting there with occasional nods and glasses as his co-captain continued to lazily drag his words. _

_After a lifetime and a few glasses of alcohol, Hanagata finally stopped to a dead halt. _

_Fujima sighed, seeing that the tall center's eyes were already closed. He decided to give up to shuteye as well, not having anything to do. He closed his eyes once more an assumed his previous arrangement on the couch. _

_Silence._

_The captain opened his eyes and turned to look beside him. "What?" _

"_You're pretty."_

"_Shut up." Fujima retorted wearily, ignoring Hanagata and closing his eyes again._

"_No, Ken, really." The tall man insisted, his tone quiet but straight nevertheless._

_Ken could just let out an annoyed puff of air, frowning briefly but not budging an inch. He was too tired for this shit. And besides, Hanagata is drunk. Why should he pay attention?_

"_Nice lips." Toru smiled playfully._

_The other man, though annoyed, did not move, not even to open his eyes. "Go get laid, man." He shunned. He really wants to take a rest now. _

_Then, suddenly, blue eyes seized open as their owner was pinned down on the couch. Ken opened his eyes to a smiling Toru, much to his irritation. He tried to push the tall man away, but a good six inches difference proved to be real disadvantage. And besides, he was already half-drunk and already had difficulty with muscle coordination. _

"_Prettier up close." Toru breathed at Ken's face._

_The smaller man was definitely offended now, much more with the smell of alcohol drowning him. "Get off me." He commanded coldly, firmly. But another smile from that face that was so very near his was all he got as an answer. _

"_No." The black-haired man answered as he got up from Fujima. "I'm getting laid."_

_--_

"Don't stare at me." Ken took off his shirt, facing his locker, which was, yeah, beside Toru's.

"You're too dense." He grinned.

"Fuck you."

"Too damn tense." Toru grinned wider.

Ken slammed the locker shut and faced the taller man. "You shut up and leave me the hell alone." He said coldly, glaring at Toru's ebony eyes.

"You mean you're still mad at me?"

The blue-eyed boy glared harder, his fists clenched at his sides. He can't quite comprehend the fact that Toru was seeing all of this as a mere joke, a game that had been played and now should be plainly put in the past. Screw that, to hell _and_ back.

"Look, I'm sorry, ok? Stop being such a prick!"

"Now I'm being a prick?! Don't you have the slightest idea what you—"

"I said I'm sorry." Toru cut him off. His voice was very gentle and apologetic now, and he wasn't smiling anymore. "I didn't mean to hurt you...that much."

"Tch." Ken looked away from the other man, his chest throbbing. "I suppose you weren't even really drunk then, were you?"

Silence.

The captain didn't bother waste any more time in such a pointless conversation. He draped his towel on his shoulder and started heading for the showers.

Until his co-captain grabbed his wrist from behind. "Look, Ken—"

"Do _not _call me Ken." The brown-haired boy uttered hardly.

"Dammit, Fujima! I said I'm sorry! I just didn't know how to let you know!"

Ken turned to look at the man behind him, his wrist still in Toru's grasp. "What, to let me know that you needed a fuck toy to waste your drunk ass on?" He breathed, effortlessly forceful.

"To let you know... that I like you."

"So you took advantage of the opportunity." The smaller man snatched his hand and walked away. "I'm some bitch, Hanagata."

--

_Ken's vision whirled as he was dumped into his bed. Apparently, the alcohol was taking its toll just now. He was so busy focusing that he didn't even ponder how Hanagata managed to carry him, when he was already drunk and all._

_He heard the rustling of fabric, and he tried to look at the source of the sound by lifting his head, but his head seized with a daze that made it fall back the pillow. He closed his eyes in an attempt to gather himself, and almost didn't realize the weight settling on the mattress. _

_The captain felt lips brush his own, brief and hesitant. He opened his eyes, only to see Hanagata's face near his, the taller man's eyes closed. _

"_What are you...?" _

_Ken heard the other man mutter something, too incoherent for his hazy state, but soon he found himself sharing another liplock with his co-captain. The towering man was bolder this time, pushing his tongue past Ken's weak lips and playing inside. The brown-haired boy, almost in half-sleep, surprisingly returned the favor with near equal passion. Hanagata was shocked at this, but he decided to just enjoy the moment, figuring that the boy only half-knew what was happening and what he was doing._

_Stupor almost claimed the brown-haired boy, the softness of the mattress too seductive, but he was interrupted by the cool air brushing his exposed skin. He sighed half in relief, because he was already feeling warm and sweaty in his clothes because of the alcohol. _

_His head slightly threw back as Toru began working on his neck, the man's lips even warmer than his burning skin, while his fingers played with his bedclothes. Hanagata then nibbled up to Ken's lips once more, exploring the smaller one's mouth, plundering for more of that sweet, slightly stinging taste. His lips became more and more violently active, moving down to Ken's chest, savoring every inch of skin, nipping occasionally at certain places that earned him moans in reward._

"_Damn..." Ken cursed softly, feeling currents running down his groin. _

_Toru spared him the torture as the man moved down, blowing softly at Ken's exposure, arousing it fully before taking it in his large hand. _

_Ken cursed silently again, his arousal coming up to realization, but also the fact that it was Hanagata he saw the last time he opened his eyes._

_The captain hissed as Toru's tongue graced his already weeping tip. A loud moan echoed through the room when Toru took his captain in his mouth, sucking his head briefly before taking him deep in his throat. Ken bit his lip and fisted Toru's hair. _

_The black-haired man took him out, licking his lips, then traced his tongue along the sides from tip to hilt. Toru smiled as he heard Ken curse again. He took him in once more, swallowed and sucked as hard as he can, his head bobbing back and forth in a rhythm of agonizingly slow paces and rapid ones. _

_Ken bit back the screams that were trying to escape his throat. He gripped Toru's hair tighter as the older man pushed him nearer and nearer to his release. He was far too immersed in his ecstasy to bother about the who, why and how, and all the other things that would normally bug his mind on a different situation._

_Finally, Ken came in Toru's mouth in pulsing spurts, his shoulders slightly lifting from the bed with every blow. _

_Toru smiled meaningfully while watching his panting captain, all sweaty and wasted beneath him. Ken tried to open his heavy lids and succeeded, he saw Toru's soft expression, and touched his face. "That was...nice..." He smiled, and closed his eyes. _

_And opened them once again as he felt Toru's lips brush his lids. "Not yet..." The tall man whispered. Toru kissed his cheek, and put Ken's arms on his shoulders and around his neck. The brown-haired boy just let him; near oblivious to what was coming. _

_Toru eased himself slowly unto his friend, kissing Ken's lips once more and never taking it off as it quivered. He looked at his face, the beautiful boy's eyes squinted close, his face a very hot red as he tried to fight it briefly. Ken's arms tightened around the other man's neck, pulling him nearer. _

_He kissed Ken's cheek soothingly, tracing the warm skin with his lips. "Just relax." He whispered to his ear, keeping still while they both got to adjust. Not so long after, Toru started to move, pulling his hardness out, then driving it in once more, eventually increasing his pace, until Ken eventually learned how to move with him as he hit the boy's pleasure center again and again. _

"_You feel...so...good..." Toru managed to mutter between his groans. The other man just moaned in reply. On and on they rocked, the bed squeaking with them, its wooden heardboard tapping constantly by the wall. Ken's hands relentlessly roamed Toru's back, his fingers momentarily raking the flesh he felt there._

_A couple of hard-driven thrusts more, Toru reached his nirvana. Ken followed not long after, clinging tightly to the taller man, lifting his frame from the bed as he came. Then, without any more moments past, he passed out._

_--_

Ken tilted his head to meet the spray of water, the familiar soothing sensation of it loving his naked, wearied body. He didn't show any reaction as he heard a knob turning beside his.

"I'm really sorry." He heard the taller man say.

He didn't budge.

"Fujima."

Still, he didn't budge.

"Ken..."

The captain turned his head towards the source of the voice, and opened his eyes. He saw Hanagata with a very soulful expression on his face, looking at him with pleading black eyes.

"Why didn't you even talk to me after that? Hell, you were even trying to avoid me."

"I knew you were mad."

Ken turned his head to face the wall. "It hurt, don't you know that?"

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry."

Then the smaller boy leaned his forehead against the tiled surface of the wall, the water running down on his back. "God, Hanagata..." He muttered, as he closed his eyes. "You don't know how it feels to be treated like that. I felt so used."

"And you didn't know what to do or think."

The brown-haired boy turned to his companion, who was smiling.

"It's the first time I did it with a man." He said, as he tilted his head up. "And for sure, I felt like—the hell! I didn't know why I did it, I felt so confused I wanted to hit my head on the wall."

"I seriously think you should've considered that." A very small smile. "Very brave, for you to...come out." He spoke quietly, staring somewhere else.

"You think so?" Toru grinned. "I was half-drunk. I thank the gods mostly for making alcohol. But I'm still not taking back anything that I said."

There was silence between the both of them, and only the droplets of water hitting the hard, cold ground echoed through it.

"You've had girlfriends." Ken spoke, as if just in the middle of his thoughts. "How come you suddenly get the idea that you...?"

Hanagata laughed. "Don't ask me."

Ken could just smile in defeat. He sighed. He closed his eyes again, and met the water by his face. He felt a very big load disappear inside his chest. But he was still...very confused. He had always been straight—though people often mistake him for otherwise. Then suddenly, this man comes barging in his otherwise peaceful life, making him doubt himself at this point in time, and he still can't get out of it. Was it just the sex? Something that hurt his pride as a man? Or was it something deeper than that? He really didn't know—

"Hanagata?" He opened his eyes, slightly startled as he felt long, strong arms wrap around his body.

"Could you please call me Toru now?" The captain felt a smile on Toru's lips against his shoulder. Toru held him with security, though he still didn't feel anywhere near secured under the circumstance in general. If he made the wrong move, it'd be a bigger thing to deal with in the future, and they both knew that.

"So...what now, Toru?"

"I don't know either." The taller man rested his chin on Ken's shoulder. He probably was as insecure as the other, but somehow he didn't want to think about it for the time being. And Ken knew—and appreciated—that Toru was trying to be strong.

For him.

"What the hell is that??" Ken grinned slightly, clearly seeing that he can't get out of this that easily, but he was now at least willing to work it out, whatever the possible result.

Toru buried his face in Ken's shoulder as the water continued to spray on them both, glad that Ken wasn't resisting anymore. He'd do whatever way there is to make Ken stay and not walk away just like that.

Guess it really just was a bad start.

Ken closed his eyes as Toru started planting kisses on his shoulder and neck. "What the hell are you doing again?"

"Abusing you, of course."

"Baka na."

"It isn't everyday you take your 'no-touch' rule for granted."

Ken laughed. "Do I even have that rule??." He breathed deeply as Toru resumed his work. "Damn you do good—"

"Yeah, I know." Toru bit on Ken's shoulder slightly. "I knew you _loved _it." The tall man laughed quietly. "Ken, you're blushing." He teased.

"No, I'm not."

"Whatever, Ken, whatever." The black-haired lad rolled his eyes, and pulled the other nearer, and they just stayed like that. "Ne, it's good no one's around."

"Don't you get any idea—"Ken was cut off as he was turned around and pushed back to the wall.

"Sorry, I already got one." Toru grinned at him. "You're blushing again." He smiled as he touched the side of Ken's face and pressed his lips with the other's. "...I thought I could never do that again."

Ken looked at the floor. Ok, maybe he _was _blushing.

"Don't get excited, Kenji. We'll get to that later." Toru teased.

"Damn you, I was looking at the floor!"

The taller man pressed his body nearer the other, squeezing Ken between his body and the wall. He, then, kissed Ken's lips once more, his fingers resting below Ken's chin. Their tongues danced, their breaths teasing each other's faces, which were getting heavier and heavier by the count.

Toru started rubbing his hips with the smaller man's, and Ken inhaled sharply at that. He tilted his head up, and Toru took the chance to attack his exposed neck, mouthing the flesh hungrily, obviously showing that he wanted more. So, he stopped moving as his mouth moved lower to Ken's chest, his hands settled on Ken's waist.

At the back of Ken's mind, was screaming. One wrong move...he can be paying for this the whole of his lifetime.

But every moan he was letting out, every movement of his fingers, every excited jolt of his body was drowning the screams—for every kiss, every lick, every moment Toru was sharing with him was pulling him farther and farther away from the locker doors, farther and farther away from reality, farther and farther away from rationality and his sanity.

Ken threw his head back, leaning it further to the wall, and his lips parted oh so longingly as he desperately clawed onto the wet, slippery wall like it was the edge of his judgment. Yes, indeed, Toru was giving him the treatment he so familiarly remembered from the night that reeked of alcohol and sweat—that feeling, where his thoughts wandered so many times since he felt it, those times he'd find himself spacing out the window, feeling the lingering heat of Toru's mouth on his manhood, the seductive clench of his throat around him, or the teasing dance of the magnificent piece of flesh that was his tongue—almost exactly like the delirium he's experiencing right now, only more since now he's willingly and knowingly giving in to it.

Toru sucked on him enthusiastically, encouraged by Ken's responses, his thoughts centered on his captain and not a fibre of thought away. He wanted to do this. And, if given the chance, he'd like to do more if only Ken would let him, if only Ken would stay. There was a world of things he wanted to share with him, so much more than this kind of satisfaction.

White, liquid heat spilled into Toru's mouth, and he swallowed gratefully, loving the taste of aware reciprocity. Honestly, Ken wasn't thinking of anything at the moment, only the pleasure pulsating through him, and his knees started to go weak. Toru rose from his kneeling position only to meet the smaller man halfway.

"Whoa. I expected you to have more stamina under normal conditions."

"You call that normal? And all this time, I thought you were new at this." Ken smiled, eyeing the gentle expression on the other man's face.

The tall, black-haired man took another chance to claim Ken's mouth once more, giving him a taste of his own essence. And of it they shared, Toru's lips and tongue moving gentler than before.

"You like that?" Toru asked, his voice deep and soft. Ken could just hear still the apology in that deep voice, but he knew he was over that incident. They were so over that. He was not the grudging type anyway.

"Whatever."

"Tsk, tsk. Prickly. As usual."

Ken closed his eyes and tried to catch the racing of his pulse. Damn that was good. Too good. Better than any he'd had _ever. _And he'd had lots.

He was still catching his normal breathing when he felt something cool slide down his chest. He opened his eyes to a mischievously grinning Toru, a bar of soap in hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning you, of course. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Fuck you." Ken smiled.

"Fuck me?" Toru raised both brows in fake innocence.

The smaller man laughed. "Shut up."

Toru turned the water knob off before he continued his work, gliding the soap all over Ken's front, up to his neck, his shoulders, his arms. He then, started soaping his own body as he had done to the other, tilting his head up to soap his neck slowly.

"Was that supposed to tease me?" Ken said sarcastically, one arrogant eyebrow raised.

Toru opened an eye to look at the other, his head still tilted. "It's...not working?"

"Not really—"He was cut off as a big soapy hand grabbed his softening manhood, playing with it with his slippery fingers. He moaned.

"That's more like it." Toru thought aloud as he looked at Ken's face. He just continued his work, and Ken was gladly bucking his hips for more. Shamelessly. No room for hesitation in Ken's brain now.

The tall man slid his hands to Ken's backside, teasing at his opening with the tip of a finger. Ken made a startled jolt, gripping the other's shoulders. Toru, then, thrust a slick finger inside, drawing it out and pushing it back again. The black-haired boy smiled as Ken's body pressed on him. Obviously, he was liking this, so he continued, excitement building anew because of Ken's ragged breathing on his skin.

Ken didn't know why the hell he was doing this, but he knew he was loving every second of it. His perception becomes a wholly different world when pleasure clouds his senses. He was a man, afterall, not a bit less eventhough he was indeed doing it with another man. Strange, knowing the person that he is, but maybe he just didn't know this part of him. Until now.

His thoughts were distracted as his one leg was draped on the other's hip. Now he knew what was coming, and he did not wish to protest. He just let it come, just let Toru slide inside him as if he'd done it a million times before, just let that face bury in his shoulder as the man muffled a loud groan. Part of him wanted to give this as consolation, and part of him...well, was still in the dark.

Strong arms wrapped around Toru's neck as the brown-haired boy leaned against him, pushing his hardness further inside. Toru moaned. Never did any of them think that working together would be this...nice.

Toru just continued to thrust, knowing that they were both loving every second of it. The smaller boy's nails dug at his back. His mouth ran all over the flesh his lips could come in contact with, feverishly, tension building inside his chest as Ken pulled him more and more to the stars. And finally, he did, Ken following not so long after.

Both their weights rested on each other and kept them still. Ken was breathing very heavily, his breath kept hitching in his throat.

"You ok?" Toru whispered to the smaller boy's ear.

"...Yeah...I guess."

The co-captain chuckled quietly. Then he pulled away to look at Ken's face, and afterwards planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. Ken closed his eyes.

What now?

"What now?"

Toru turned the knob on, the proceeded in cleaning up Ken as well as himself. That's why they were there, afterall. And Ken just let him. He wasn't in a mood to do anything. He just let it come. Whatever it is, he can figure it out later.

---

They both just sat there, silent for still moments, a safe distance apart on the benches. Ken just stared at the empty gym, at the ring, at the floor, wherever, in an attempt to catch up with what was happening. And Toru just stayed with him there, probably still as lost as he is, not wanting to abandon him anymore, believing that somehow they can work their way to straighten this up.

"You scared?"

"Of course I am. And don't you tell me you're not."

Ken let out a sigh. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know." Toru answered absentmindedly, staring at his feet.

"This is so stupid." Ken laughed quietly.

"Yeah I know."

"I hate you."

Toru looked away from him. "I know you hate me... you had to wear turtlenecks for quite sometime." He grinned.

A sarcastic eyebrow rose. "Thank you for not putting a hickey on me today." He said, kidding around, kidding around like he rarely used to.

"You're welcome."

Silence.

"Ne, can you hear me out for a couple of minutes? Seriously?"

Ken did not speak. Was he really ready to voice out his thoughts? They were just so... incomplete right now. He gave up. "Sure."

"What do you think is happening?"

"You know, to be honest, I don't know." He just let the words out, eventhough both of them knew he was not good at talking with anyone about himself. Now, he tried, at least for the both of them. "But it's scaring the wits out of me."

"Me too."

"Why?"

"I don't want to fail in this."

"Who wants to anyway?" The smaller boy smiled. "What about you?"

"Nah, no idea either. But this is what I want to do." Toru sighed. "Can you trust me?" He said uncertainly, knowing Ken well as to know trust was the hardest thing he'd give, after all that he'd seen the boy go through.

Silence.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Ken answered, quite defeated.

"Look, don't act like you don't have a choice, ok? I'll manage to make you trust me...eventually."

"What do I know if those are just the same words you told all your women?"

Toru laughed. "I wouldn't risk this much for just some woman." He looked at the boy sitting beside him, and Ken turned to face him. "Do you think that..._that_...was a big mistake?"

"It was a mistake, but it's all over now." Ken stood up, got the stray ball he had left earlier, closed his eyes and breathed, opened his eyes again and then executed a goal. As he'd half expected, Toru intercepted it once more. To his surprise, they both landed with a thud on the floor, his friend on top of him.

"Still haven't recovered yet?" Ken joked, not doing a thing to push the other man away.

Toru smiled one of the gentlest smiles Ken had ever seen. He stared at Ken's face for a moment, eyeing every detail with much attention like it was the first time he'd seen them. He brushed a stray lock of hair from the boy's forehead, then covered Ken's mouth with his own.

They just stayed like that, savoring each other's tastes on the wooden floor. Droplets of sweat formed anew on the sides of Ken's face. He pulled off to gasp for air.

"You love abusing people, don't you?" The brown-haired boy smiled.

Toru bit at the tip of Ken's nose. "Only you." He laughed quietly, his breath blowing at the other's face.

"Idiot." Ken kissed the taller man's lips, and Toru could only smile beneath their liplock, truly shocked and pleased that Ken had initiated something for once. There was hope afterall.

"You're cute when you blush like that." Toru teased, still not moving to get away.

"Want to go now?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"As a matter of fact I am."

Toru kissed him again, more aggressively this time, plundering the boy's mouth with his tongue, with Ken gladly responding to it. The black-haired man made up his mind that he can't do anything about Ken's submissiveness. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just...bewildering.

Somehow, this submission was another issue shouting at the back of Ken's mind. It made some weird sense. He never wanted any responsibility—he never really wanted to have to do everything. Ever. Like the role he plays whenever he's with a girl. Maybe having another one to assume his previous role, is a change, a welcome one. And in the end, whatever could happen, he hasn't anything to lose. Not the time, not the liberty, just his ego maybe. That end could only determine if the sincerity he feels in Toru's words and actions is real, and if showing a side of him even he didn't understand fully was a wrong decision.

And in that arrangement they stayed, Ken's hand placed on the side of Toru's neck, the other entwined with the other man's fingers. He was letting Toru do this to him, which could only mean he's liking it, wanting it too. That alone was a hard thing to swallow, but it's there so he'd just have to face it.

Both of them were completely oblivious to either the time or place. Nothing seems to have any sense but what is here and now. Who cares if somebody came marching in the court and saw them? None of them would want to give a damn about anything else. That, Ken rarely felt with any other girl he's been with, like nothing before had any meaning at all, nothing was that significant for him to even clearly remember. And clearly, based on what Toru had been telling about his women, he hadn't been just too satisfied either.

Ken panted heavily, his chest heaving against the other's, as he still felt the warmth in his lips with closed eyes. He opened them as he felt another kiss placed on his forehead.

"Thank you."

---

The night was quiet as the two men walked on the empty road. The air was damp, and the sky was a bit too dark than usual.

"How are you?"

Ken turned to look at the other man with the beginnings of a smile in his face. "Idiot."

"You're too quiet!"

Silence.

"...Not if I can help it." Toru closed his fists like he just thought aloud of something very, very good. He threw a mischievous glance at the man silently walking beside him then grinned.

"Oi!" The smaller man suddenly blurted out as he felt an arm wrapping around his waist. He tried pushing Toru away, but to his dismay, he cannot. "Dammit!"

"Want me to shout?"

"No! Let go! Somebody might—"

Both halted in their tracks as the cold rain poured on them. Real hard.

"I hate you!" Fujima shouted as he ran away from Toru. The tall man, being as naughty as he is, tried to catch him and succeeded, grabbing him by the waist with both arms. Ken hurtled back and slightly bumped onto Toru's front, the tall man squeezing him there.

---

The two men were now waking in the rain, Ken a distance away from the other. Can't do nothing about being all wet now, it was too late. Way too late.

"This is all your fault."

Toru approached the pouting Ken, his arms held out. "Aww, I'm sorry."

"Don't you start with me again. Shoo."

"Prickly pouting Kenji, so kawaii."

Silence.

"Excuse me." A voice suddenly cut like a knife through the silence of the rain. Both men turned to the source of the voice, slightly shocked. It was a woman, about the age of maybe late 30s, holding a trash bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other. She was smiling amicably, but..._other _things have already rushed to Ken and Toru's poor minds, especially about their little act from moments ago.

Ken put up an indifferent, inquiring face. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Would you like an umbrella? You both wouldn't want to get sick out there."

The smaller boy bowed politely and smiled. "Thank you very much, ma'am, but me and my friend here are just fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Thank you again for your kindness." The boy politely declined again. The woman smiled back, put the trash in the trash can and went inside, smiling at them one last time before disappearing behind the door.

The moment she was gone, Toru let out an ourburst, a big smile on his face. "What was that all about?"

"She was offering an umbrella, I refused."

"Of course I know that, baka!"

"Then why are you asking for? Moron."

"What the hell was that politeness all about??"

"What, you want me to just ignore her? I'm not _that _rude."

"My, my. Your parents must be proud for such a son."

"It's called common manners."

"Ne, ne, whatever, Ken, whatever." Toru waved his hands, smiling. Kinda...impressed. Such display was very unusual, but amusing to him nevertheless. He never really realized Ken's formality in socializing with people. What endeared him greatly were the diversities of this boy's personality, which pushed him to want to know more about him. One minute he's a 4-year old, next thing he's the biggest prick alive, then another a stone, or a saint. Just thinking about it made the tall man smile.

"Let's hurry. I don't want to get sick." Ken impassively said.

Toru grinned. The captain could've just went on his way and left him. "My house, or your house?"

"Shut up."

---

Ken paused halfway of his shirt shedding and turned to look at Toru, who was making annoying hissing sounds. "Stop that. You're annoying me."

"Nah...can't help it."

The smaller man got his fresh clothes from Toru's side and went to the bathroom to continue changing.

Hearty laughter echoed through Ken's room. Toru fell back to the bed, clutching his abdomen. This was way too amusing. He could almost forget that he was still in his wet clothes. Good thing his bag was made of waterproof material—Ken's clothes would surely be... unbefitting.

"Don't wet my bed." A threatening tone reverberated from inside the bathroom.

"Sorry, sorry."

Ken sighed. Ok, so here he is, changing his clothes inside his bathroom, Toru sitting on his bed just outside the door, the clock ticking away not a couple of hours to midnight. He sighed again.

He looked himself in the mirror, contemplated for a while, then decided to go back to the room proper. He opened the door silently. He wasn't sure, but something hitched in his throat.

There, in the middle of the room, was his tall co-captain, half-naked, back facing him, fixing his drawstrings. The dim lighting highlighted the ripples of muscle along his back, shoulders and arms. The lighting made a weird effect that added to the sight. And him, being himself a man with a queer taste for likewise queer beauty, was plainly dumbfounded.

Toru turned around, slight surprise in his facial features. He eyed Ken from head to foot, like he'd never seen him before.

"What are you looking at?"

"Sorry, I was just gawking at your...magnificence."

Ken gave a threatening look.

"No, really, you look good." The tall man uttered. "Breathless." He smiled, pointing at himself. "Tsk. God, he's even blushing."

"Shut up, you stupid idiot."

---

The night air was cold and damp, the rain was pouring hard outside. Deafening. Loud. Like the breathing that came with faint traces of white fog, warm breath mixing with the cold night air. Deep, heaving breaths that mixed with a steady rhythm of rising and lingering fires.

Ken's name resounded again and again inside the room as Toru moved. He moved in his dance, and Ken joined with him, and the rain was their music.

"...Toru..."

The taller man groaned. He thrust further into the other man's body, planting urgent kisses on Ken's shoulder and neck as he did so. As before, he was loving this, and now he can tell that Ken was feeling the same. No holds barred.

Ken clung onto Toru's body tightly as he came, his legs clamped around the other's hips, his arms around Toru's neck. The black-haired man pressed his face deep in Ken's shoulder as he followed.

Toru brushed a lock of hair that stuck to Ken's damp forehead, kissed him there, and rolled to his side.

"How are you?"

Ken breathed deeply, then managed to fish out the blanket from the bottom end of the bed without getting up, then draped it over himself and his companion. "Cold."

A small laugh. "Cold?"

The brown-haired boy closed his eyes, both hands on either side of him as he lay straight on his side of the bed facing the ceiling. "Why? Isn't it cold?"

"Yeah it is, I was just wondering, since you're so hot and all..." Toru chuckled.

"I don't know."

Toru laughed. "Try talking without thinking _carefully _about what you're about to say sometime."

"Why?"

"You always seem to choose your words." The taller man closed his eyes as well. "...Too carefully spoken, bleh..." He opened them again and turned to the man by his side. "Well, that's a thing I liked about you anyway."

Ken smiled.

"Do you have fun?"

"What??"

"I mean, you don't act like a person who's having fun."

"Really? Well, as a matter of fact I do. Maybe not just like normal people."

Toru hissed. "You're so weird. I like that."

"I just don't like people knowing me. Coming too close."

"Well, you might try reconsidering from now on." The tall man smiled. After all, he knew this boy long enough to have justified his personality with the things he saw him go through. Things he thought he could never take if they were to happen to him. "Ne, seriously, you think you can give this thing a chance?"

"You speak too much."

"I do. If I were to speak even a little less than this, we'd both die of boredom."

"You'd die. I'd be just fine."

"Kenji!"

Ken chuckled faintly. "A chance?" He opened his eyes and looked at Toru, who was looking intently at him.

"...So??"

"You've got two today. What do you think?"

_--fin _


End file.
